Funny Social Media Response to Negative Comments

7 years ago, every bit a naive content marketer with more enthusiasm on my resume than actual experience, something transpired that bugged me for years. I was working as a freelance blogger, paying my way through college. A typical forenoon involved writing, publishing, and scheduling social media content and blog posts for clients. My weekend had been relaxing and my Monday morning coffee was only about perfect.

Then it happened. Someone said they hated my blog post. What was fifty-fifty worse? They said I couldn't write worth a lick.

I was stunned. Shocked. Discouraged.

It surprised me so much that I couldn't even codify a response.

Today I wouldn't think of ignoring negative feedback. Responding to negative feedback is 1 of the best ways to showcase your make's personality. All yous demand is a fiddling inventiveness, honesty, and a solid grasp of the facts. It's known as wit – the ability to recall quickly, ofttimes associated with humor.

Responding to negative feedback is a neat style to showcase your brand's personality, says @BArailrunner. Click To Tweet

Here are vii tips I use when responding to negative feedback that enable me to strengthen the audience relationship and bear witness off the brand's fun, professional personality.

ane. Play it cool

Every fourth dimension I read a negative comment, bad review, or insulting remark I have a long, deep jiff and read it over again.

The temptation is to reply immediately to counter all the horrible things existence publicly posted. Responding in the heat of the moment always makes things worse.

Take the time to consider your reply and don't jump to conclusions. Kickoff, consider the context of the complaint and then formulate a response.

If you're good at humorous writing (or accept a co-worker who is) use that to your advantage. Responding with authentic humor is one of the all-time means to defuse a tense situation. In the aforementioned way that a smile relieves tension in contiguous encounters, tasteful sense of humor tin turn a bad situation into a nifty one.

Answer to a negative comment due west/ authentic humor to defuse a tense situation, says @BArailrunner. #socialmedia Click To Tweet

That'southward exactly what Sainsbury'due south did when information technology turned a customer's clever but frustrated tweet into a viral brand win.

2. Understand your responsibility

Information technology's easy to think your get-go responsibility in responding is damage control that appeases the commenter. While you absolutely demand to resolve the situation, your first responsibility is to your audience and your make.

Permit me clarify. Your target audition only includes people with the potential to turn into paying customers and brand advocates. In other words, focus on people who could become qualified sales leads.

If the commenter isn't role of your target marketplace, don't get overboard to appease him or her. Instead, address the issue and showcase your brand'due south personality.

If negative commenter isn't in your target market, don't get overboard to appease them, says @BArailrunner. Click To Tweet

Everlane registered a win after sharing a swish but funny response to a brutal customer complaint on Instagram.

3. Generic doesn't cutting information technology

Never answer with a general statement. That'south a recipe for frustration. Your response needs to exist customized to address the concern.

You can always tell when someone is using a copy-and-paste response rather than writing a personal message. Needless to say, this infuriates people.

Recollect what happened in 2013 when Bank of America used a bot to generate automated Twitter responses?

4. Place hopeless interactions

There are three types of brand haters you're bound to encounter if yous create and share content online:

• Trolls – People who savor stirring up trouble past trying to provoke irrational or emotional responses
• Goblins – People who go offended at your brand and lash out on a personal level
• Hobgoblins – The dangerous hybrid – people who troll your brand nonstop and utilize a smattering of highly offensive language while making everything personal

Rarely will you be able to reason with any one of these three aggressors. If that's the instance, meet if you can (i) hide or delete their feedback or (two) sharpen your wit and create a moment your ideal audience will enjoy … just like Wendy'due south did.

5. Respond kindly, non in kind

Information technology'south not always clear why negative feedback occurs or what the existent issue is. When this is the case, your best approach is to make sure you empathise the spirit in which the original message was intended. Was it hostile, confused, humorous, or frustrated? Once you lot recall yous empathize how the message was intended, you lot can craft an appropriate response.

In 2013, Tesco responded to a Twitter user that tagged its account in a joke about a friend'southward mobile voicemail. While Tesco'southward response might seem rude or insensitive to some, it ultimately resulted in a playful substitution that promoted a positive brand perception. All because Tesco considered the intent of the bulletin.

6. Transform the chat

Turn a negative into a positive past changing the narrative and owning the experience. You don't e'er take to say "sorry," ban an offensive comment, or write a lengthy response. Sometimes you just need to own it and unapologetically laugh about it with your audience. Be true to your make'southward personality.

seven. Block or ban (in rare circumstances)

Banning someone or hiding a comment should exist a final resort. Try your best to accomplish a peaceful resolution in a way that preserves brand integrity and addresses legitimate concerns.

However, if a particularly obnoxious, slanderous, or outright offensive person publicly attacks your make, it's OK to ban them. Here are three steps I follow:

• Hide or delete derogatory language and offensive terminology.
• Answer to the original poster by asking them to privately bulletin your brand to resolve the situation.
• Ban the poster if they ignore y'all and continue posting offensive comments.

TIP: Ensure that your steps to dealing with offensive linguistic communication are known to your audience by publishing them in your guidelines. It's helpful to postal service those before a potential outcome arises to avoid looking reactionary.

Prevention is the all-time medicine

It's always best to conceptualize issues and accost potential concerns earlier your content goes live.

For example, Facebook allows you lot to ban offensive words in posts to your page:
1) Go to "Settings" at the height right of page:

two) Select "Folio Moderation":

3) Enter the words to ban from your page and click "Relieve Changes":

It's as simple as that.

Fugitive unfavorable criticism is impossible if you consistently publish and share content over an extended flow. However, you tin can minimize the harm with a witty reply that both satisfies the commenter and enhances make perception.

If you ever see that comment that stuns, shocks, or discourages you lot (or your make), simply think these 3 tidbits:

1. Negative feedback is better than content obscurity.
2. The goal of every interaction is to better make credibility and perception.
3. Always stay true to your brand'southward personality.

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Embrace image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

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